The Supreme Court on Monday denied bail for three people convicted of the Godhra train fire that led to community violence in Gujarat in 2002. Deeming it a "very serious incident", the Court Supreme Court noted that "all three of them had a role to play" in the incident.
These convicts, Saukat Yusuf Ismail, Bilal Abdullah Ismail, and Siddikare, are currently serving life sentences in this case.
"The case is also very serious. This is not the murder of a single person," said the Supreme Court panel led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud. The bench, which also includes Judges JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, added that specific roles have been assigned to these convicts in connection with the train fire.
"Given the specific role of the appellants, we are not inclined to extend bail to them. Needless to say, this will not affect the merits of the appeal," the SC bench said.
On February 27, 2002, the Sabarmati Express S6 coach, carrying pilgrims returning from Ayodhya, was set on fire at Godhra station in Gujarat, killing 59 people. The incident served as a catalyst, sparking widespread violence and community conflict in the state, leaving 1,044 people dead. Lead attorney Sanjay Hegde, who represented the convicts, argued that two of them had been charged with stoning and stealing jewelry during the violence. He also told the Supreme Court that three men had been sentenced to life in prison by the first instance court and one of them had been detained for more than 17 years and six months, the other had served 20 years.
The CJI noted that these convicts' appeals against their convictions are still pending and said the court would form an appropriate panel to hear the cases.
On April 21, the Supreme Court bailed out eight people sentenced to life in prison in the case.
